


Just as I promised you

by LoveDreamsHappiness



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Conscription, I have no idea how to classify or how to tag stuff..., I'm Sorry, It's my first work..., Jaeno, M/M, Romance, Thank You!, nomin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-14
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-05-23 06:18:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14928794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveDreamsHappiness/pseuds/LoveDreamsHappiness
Summary: Two years ago, Jeno left Jaemin.Two years on, Jeno came back to Jaemin after serving in military service.





	Just as I promised you

**Author's Note:**

> First of all... This is my very first work in... years? And it's also the first one of which I think is kinda worth posting... Although the punctuation might be horrible, I still hope you'll somewhat enjoy the story?
> 
> I had to beta-read it myself so I apologise for any errors in advance - But please feel free to let me know if you spot any!
> 
> I don't know how it ended up like this but ... (There is hardly any conversations going on...) Yeah,... Enjoy? =)
> 
> [Happy Birthday, our Moon Taeil!]

* * *

 

It was the moment when Jaemin finally calmed himself down from his tearful breakdown, when Jeno tightened the embrace and whispered reassuringly: “When I’m back I will introduce you to my family, Nana.”

 

Jaemin could feel the desperation in that move. He could feel how Jeno’s one arm was wrapped around the younger’s body, while his hand on the other, was placed behind his nape, pushing Jaemin deeper into the embrace. And he knew neither of them was willing to let go of the other.

 

But he could also feel from the way how Jeno told him this - How his voice was now back to its normal deep tone, firm and determined, that their parting is close.

 

Actually, so close that Jaemin couldn’t really process, how tears made his vision so blurry that there was no other way but to squeeze his eyes shut. Tears were falling all over his cheeks and face, landing on the older’s shoulder.

So close that he almost forgot, how he sobbed his aching heart out, utterly failing at his original promise not to make Jeno cry as well.

At the end, Jeno didn’t really cry - tears just fell. But Jaemin knew the older was, however, on the verge to. The way Jeno hummed his soothing voice into the other’s ear to calm him down, but always cautious not to break his own voice, betrayed him at that moment.

 

And when Jaemin felt the warmth of their embrace leaving his body, as Jeno breaks the hug to plant one last deep kiss on his lips, Jaemin tried really hard to engrave the view of Jeno’s smile in his heart that made his now glistening eyes look like two crescents.

He knew he wouldn’t be able to see it again soon. So, he quickly runs a hand through the older’s short-shaven black hair for one last time.

 

Then Jaemin also felt a pair of hands lifting off his shoulders, the warmth slowly fading away. And this is how he saw his boyfriend off that day, witnessing the figure in front of him turning around, ready to jog away, back to where his family was waiting for him to return. Yet, he still caught an almost inaudible, breathy “I love you, Nana”, as the other disappeared back in the crowd full of crying mothers, cheering younger siblings and their own older brothers.

“I love you, too.” Jaemin whispered to himself. And as he tried to sniff his longing feelings away, he knew right at this moment, that nothing could stop him from waiting for his boyfriend to return in two years.

 

* * *

 

 

From the day when Jeno asked Jaemin on a date when they were both college students, almost two years has passed. They’ve been living in a small apartment in a cosy neighbourhood in the Northern part of Seoul.

As all things happen unexpectedly, one day Jaemin returned from picking up groceries for their dinner, when he found himself greeted by Jeno, tension written all over his face, while biting his bottom lip. He placed his full bags on top of their dinner table with his eyes kept on the older.

 

“I need to tell you something, Nana.” Jeno said much quieter than his usual cheerful and excited self. Jaemin noticed, as he was not showing his bright smile, it must be something really severe. And an uneasy feeling piled up in his guts, just as he saw that the older had his hands placed behind himself, hiding something from Jaemin.

And they caught each other looking. One had a questioning frown on his face, eyes expectant and internally bracing himself from what is to come, while the other, only reluctantly, returned the gaze, rather preferring to go into hiding.

 

“I received a letter today.” Jeno reached for the other’s hand to pull him to the sofa, finally breaking the throttling silence hanging in the room. Jaemin followed and sat down next to him. His heart was thumping insanely fast by now, almost jumping out of its cage and he felt his fingertips tingling from the suspense. “It is something we already expected but… still, it is so sudden, I’m sorry.”

 

Jaemin’s heart not only stopped thumping, but he pretty much felt lifeless inside his chest, when Jeno told him the Military Manpower Administration sent him a letter, asking him to report for military service within the next six to eight weeks. He managed to fake a calm and indifferent expression, although tears were already welling up, waiting to brim over. And the younger knew that.

 

Jaemin recalled how they both were required to go to the examination to determine, if they are suitable for military service. It was at the beginning of their young relationship, but they decided to go together since they were of the same age anyways. Both dodged the question on their sexual preference since they were prepared that these questions were to be asked. Although Jeno and Jaemin would never hide their relationship in public or in front of their friends, they still have never met the family of the other before. It wasn’t intentional, but it just never came up.

“My mum is fine with it though,” Jeno once told him on a cold winter night during the weekend when the younger snuggled up against the other. “I mean, with me dating a boy. I could feel that she already suspected it - or my sister spoilt it indirectly. But the last time she asked me about my dating life, she didn’t explicitly mention a _girl_ friend anymore but to bring _somebody_ home.” To this Jaemin glanced up from his position where his cheek was squished against the other’s upper arm, earning him a pair of smiling eyes.

 

But the consequences that would await them, if they came out in front of military officials were too high. Society was still harsh, and they knew it. They were still too young to deal with the stigmatisation that would most likely follow.

 

And Jaemin knew that he himself was an exception while his boyfriend was certainly not. Because of his back injury, for which he also received surgery and a treatment that lasted for what felt like ages before, he was graded with a four after the examination. But Jeno was seemingly healthy. He never complained or brought anything up, other than the usual colds he caught during the winter time. So, as expected, he was graded with a one. Although Jaemin was very proud to have a boyfriend this healthy but then, it still stung to know that one day Jeno would be gone for two years.

 

As they both has put the thought away to the very back of their mind, it hurt even more to be pulled back out so suddenly.

When the letter arrived in the letter box that day, Jaemin was already enlisted. He had just graduated at that time. Due to his injury he was told to serve in public service with now 3 months left. His position was assigned to a hospital, where he gets to go home every afternoon (or every morning if he has to be on-call overnight), unlike in the usual military service, in which one is basically completely isolated from the outside world, from family and friends - From _boyfriends_.

 

And this fate was awaiting Jeno.

“I will be your real man once I’m out!” Jeno joked whenever Jaemin would pout in the weeks leading up to his enlistment date. Although they both promised each other to not feel sad about it but to rather enjoy the remaining time with each other, Jaemin could feel that not only he himself felt the pain creeping up slowly. They both tried their best to keep this feeling at bay. 

 

 

* * *

 

Two years ago, it was tough for Jaemin. It was hard enough to let go but it was even harder to live on his own afterwards.

Friends would even tell him how they would never be able to wait for somebody like this or encouraged him to just dump the other. But Jaemin believed in Jeno, he was sure Jeno felt the same strong bond to him as well. So, he remained brave. He didn’t know about his boyfriend’s whereabouts, how he is doing or whether his possessions that he had with him on enlistment day were successfully sent back to the family.

Here and then, he had to decline other guys and even girls who were asking him out. People would call him handsome often and his friends would always grin whenever he told the strangers that he has a boyfriend. Apparently having wide doe-like eyes was mesmerising for a few.

During the first winter season when Jeno was gone, Jaemin even got rid of the habit that the other disliked a lot. When Jaemin’s lips dry out they would become flaky and he would start nibbling on his bottom lip. Jeno really loved to kiss Jaemin but Jeno also really hated the feeling of chapped lips. So the younger made sure to carry some lip balm with him and took it out moisturise his lips whenever he felt the need to.

 

Although the months were hard, he didn’t count down the days until Jeno would be back. He decided it would be the best if he just lived his days as they come without indulging himself in longing for Jeno. His heart would make him stare out the window, looking at the skies with the clouds slowly passing by. But his reason would tell him to put some effort into finding and new job after he got discharged from public service.

 

But two years on, it was different.

Yet again, it was a sunny day in early summer. Jeno made sure that this time, he didn’t have to go see Jaemin under a tree, giving them some sort of hiding place, away from the eyes of the crowd of worried but proud parents and siblings. He asked his older sister to wait at home with their mum and dad. He just wanted to see Jaemin without the need to hide, without the need to excuse himself to pick up a call just to go see his boyfriend seeing him off on the enlistment day. He was thankful that his sister managed to fulfil this request.

 

Along with the crowd, Jaemin arrived early at the gates to the base where Jeno was deployed at. His eyes were scanning the dozens of men flowing out in their camouflage uniforms. He spotted a familiar figure among them and his instincts told him to run – And he did.

With a literal thud he landed in Jeno’s familiar embrace. He missed the feeling to have his Jeno around, touching, hugging and kissing him. His tears started to flow when Jeno tightened the embrace, seemingly stronger than before. He could feel how Jeno grew slightly taller, his shoulders were wider and as they bob from left to right, spinning around on the spot, Jaemin realised how much firmer Jeno feels.

“I missed you so much, Jeno.” Jaemin managed to cry out in between his heavy sobbing.

 

During the rare holidays when Jeno could leave the base, Jaemin insisted that he should rather see his parents over him. So, during the past 22 months they’ve only seen each other once. And that one time it was broken short. His sister called Jeno home because their parents insisted to have dinner with their son.

 

The older broke the hug and kissed Jaemin on his lips without hesitating once. It wasn’t a kiss followed by kisses but it was one sole long kiss which felt like an eternity for Jaemin. His head started to spin as he felt people boring their stares into them but he also caught a few people cheering for them.

“I missed you, too, my Nana” Jeno smiled so brightly, taking Jaemin’s worries and pain away, before he leaned in again to give a peck on the corner of the Jaemin’s mouth.

 

Jaemin never doubted that their feelings for each other would change over time – He was sure that Jeno was a present given to him which he would treasure to the utmost for life. And he thought the other would feel the same about him.

 

“I will make up for the lost two years, I promise you that.” Jeno cooed while rubbing his nose against the other’s.

And it was in the regained presence of his boyfriend where Jaemin felt Jeno’s infatuation for the younger. He felt his face growing warm and the urge to hide is face behind his hands, so he loosens himself from Jeno, wiping his tears to regain his composure. He hoped that this would hide his blushing somehow. “You should get going. Your parents and your sister are probably waiting for you at home. Thank you for letting me welcome you back.”

 

“Who said they were only waiting for me?” Jeno asks with a smirk on his face.

“W-what do you mean?” Jaemin raised his eye brow, obviously confused.

 

And they both set off to leave when Jeno turned Jaemin around, putting one arm to hang down the younger’s shoulder.

Jeno earned a pair of even wider eyes when he finally told the other smugly: “I’ll introduce you to my parents today, _just as I promised you_.”


End file.
